Crispy-skinned, spectacularly juicy, and garlic paprika-rubbed Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are a no-effort recipe that earns unanimous praise and augments kitchen swagger. Quicker than the regular oven with even better results, your air fryer will quickly become your favorite way to cook chicken thighs!
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5-star chicken thighs, ready super fast
Of the dozens of air fryer recipes I’ve tested, these air fryer chicken thighs earned the highest honor awarded in our household: my husband requested them for dinner every week.
In fact, he called them the best chicken I’ve ever made!
- The meat is juicier than you ever thought chicken could be.
- The seasoning tastes lightly smoky and complex, an ideal profile for chicken.
- The skin is so shatteringly crispy, even those who usually don’t eat chicken skin (me), will find themselves nibbling crunchy pieces.
But that’s not the end of the story.
From the cook’s perspective (that’s me and you), this fast and easy dinner is a clear winner. The rub is made from common spices you likely already have in your pantry, like paprika and garlic powder. Bone-in chicken thighs cook in 16 to 20 minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees F. And you don’t need a marinade!
5 Star Review
“Absolutely delicious! They turned out perfectly. And I loved the spice mixture!”
— Nancy —
Two Essential Tips for Perfect Air Fried Chicken Thighs
Here are some quick tips to make sure your air fryer chicken thighs are the best ever!
- Use Bone-In, Skin-On Thighs. I highly recommend using budget-friendly bone-in, skin-on chicken for this recipe. As with this Baked Bone-In Chicken Breast, Braised Chicken Thighs, and Air Fryer Whole Chicken, the skin locks in moisture. The bone flavors the meat from within and makes it harder to overcook the chicken.
- Check the Temp. While using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs gives you better protection from dry meat than if you were to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, you can still overcook chicken thighs (and you can DEFINITELY undercook them). For best results use an instant read thermometer.
More Ways to Season Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Parmesan. Add 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese to your spice mixture. (I’ll have this with Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, please.)
- Spicy. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the spice mixture.
- Brown Sugar. Add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar to the spice mixture. (For a BBQ-like finish, serve the thighs with my scrumptious Barbecue Sauce or any bbq sauce.)
- Italian. Add 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning to the spice mixture.
- Curry. Add 2 teaspoons curry powder to the spice mixture. (This would be delish with Turmeric Rice.)
- Garlic Butter. Omit the smoked paprika, add an extra teaspoon of garlic powder, and swap the olive oil for melted butter. (Perfect for pairing with Garlic Pasta.)
- Lemon. Add zest of 1 lemon to the spice mixture. (Try this with Pasta al Limone or Lemon Rice. YUM!)
- Marinated. This recipe includes a great chicken rub; you can also try my favorite Chicken Marinade or Chicken Thigh Marinade, or use this Dry Turkey Brine (it works for chicken too!). Be sure to pat the chicken dry prior to cooking.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Video
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), see notes to use boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the paprika, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Pat the chicken thighs very dry on both sides, then add to the bowl. Drizzle with the oil, then toss to coat in the spice mixture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer, skin-side down (make sure they are not touching; if they are, cook the chicken in batches).
- Air fry the chicken thighs for 16 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of a thigh (but not touching bone) reaches 155°F. Set aside, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes (chicken is considered by the FDA cooked at 165°F, but the temperature will continue to rise as it rests; air fryer models differ in cooking time, so check early to be safe). Serve hot, with lemon wedges (squeeze them over the top of your serving) and sprinkled with fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
- FOR BONELESS THIGHS: Coat with the spice mixture as directed. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F, then add the chicken smooth-side down. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken reaches 155°F on an instant read thermometer. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes (the temperature will continue to rise), then enjoy warm.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze thighs in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Really good tasty crispy and juicy
Too salty though.
Hi Deb, glad the texture came out great for you. For the salt, did you use kosher salt?
I have made this recipe many times and it is a favorite of my husband of 59+ years. Tonight since I was making a fresh vegetable side along with mashed potatoes I decided to take the drippings in my air fryer to make a gravy for the potatoes. Healthy…no way. Good…yes, but spicy which is okay with us. I just made a roux and added milk. The whole meal turned out fantastic!
So happy to hear, thank you so much Nancy!
The instructions for the boneless skinless are way off. Still raw at 6-8 mins. Took over 20 mins.
I’m sorry to hear you had an issue, M. What was the internal temperature of the chicken at 8 minutes?
Super yummy and easy! Very crispy skin. Cut the salt in half because we are watching salt intake. Otherwise made as written. Will be in the rotation even after winter when we can use enjoyable use the outdoor grill!
So glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Looks great!
I followed this recipe to the tee last night using boneless chicken thighs. The cook time was about 12 minutes total (I did 6 minutes per side) and the meat was perfect…. HOWEVER, they were so salty we could hardly eat them. We were so bummed! I don’t think I made a mistake with my measuring. Anyway, because everything else seemed perfect I can’t wait to try again but with half the salt! :)
I’m so sorry to hear that, Traci. Just checking, did you use kosher salt?
Yes I did use kosher salt.. trying again this evening with less salt. Will let you know how it goes!
Thank you!
Prepared exactly per recipe. Used coarse kosher salt, but found it too salty for us. Will absolutely make this again, but will reduce salt by 50% and will cook longer. Bone-in thighs with skin not cooked through with instant read internal temp of 150-160 F. But chicken had great flavor and was juicy and easy to make. Just needs a bit more tweaking for us. Thank, Erin!
Thanks Diana!
Delicious
Thanks Gretchen!
Really tasty and quick to make. Thanks, Erin.
I made as recommended but halved the salt as we don’t use much and adapted the time to my air fryer which only manages 390°F. Next time I need to get the skin really dry as they weren’t quite as crispy as I’d expected.
Glad to hear. you enjoyed it, Kasia! Thank you!